Impact on students

Did you know ….Teacher stress can have up to an 8% variance on student academic performance (Teacher Support Network, UK, 2007). In fact, John Hattie also links teacher motivation to student achievement;

“When teachers become burned out, or worn out, their students’ achievement outcomes are likely to suffer because they are more concerned with their personal survival.” (Hattie, 2013)

The primary business of schools is education of its students. Achievement and wellbeing lie at the heart of this with. The DEC Wellbeing Framework for schools states, “wellbeing, or the lack of it, can affect a student’s engagement and success in learning. Educators need to understand the potential wellbeing has to bring about positive change, what is required to foster wellbeing, and how it can become a powerful force in students’ learning and development.”

In order to do this, teachers themselves must be well (Roffey, 2010). This means teachers must be able to not only teach the various domains of wellbeing, but model competence within these domains. These domains described by the DEC Wellbeing Framework include;

Cognitive wellbeing is associated with achievement and success and is informed by motivation and persistence to achieve. This has strong links to growth mindset

Emotional wellbeing relates to self-awareness and emotional regulation. It includes how well we cope, and is often reflected by the level of a person’s resilience. Mindfulness is one way we can learn to regulate our emotions

Social wellbeing includes the extent to which we experience positive relationships and connectedness to others. Through strength based conversations we can develop greater empathy for others and feel better connected.

Physical wellbeing is associated with the extent to which we feel physically safe and healthy. It includes nutrition, preventative health care, physical activity and physical safety and security. Physical wellbeing enables positive health outcomes.

Spiritual wellbeing relates to our sense of meaning and purpose. It can include our connection to culture, religion or community and includes the beliefs, values and ethics we hold.

More research:

Impact of SEL for student learning (CASEL) – According to a meta-analysis of 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students, those who participated in evidence-based SEL programs showed an 11 percentile-point gain in academic achievement compared to students who did not participate in SEL programs.